Rotherham United's Shaun McWilliams on fighting his way back to fitness

Shaun McWilliams can play in midfield or at right-back for Rotherham United. Picture: Jim Brailsford

MODEL pro Shaun McWilliams became a model patient when injury took him out of the Rotherham United first-team frame.

The summer signing had been playing his best football of the season and had become a key part in the team when pulled his hamstring in January during a victory over Charlton Athletic at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

But he didn't complain, he just applied himself to his recovery with the same quiet focus he brings to events on the pitch.

“I had this conversation with Chris (head of human performance Royston) and he said to me: ‘How come you don't moan?’ McWilliams said. “I was like: ‘This is my job.’

“Whatever I do, I'll put 100 per cent into it. Chris was the boss when I was doing my rehab. I did everything I was asked and now I'm back thanks to him.”

The midfielder, who has earned praise from manager Steve Evans for the manner in which he conducts himself, has been deployed as a stand-in right-back since his return earlier this month.

He's happy to play anywhere and put behind him the frustration of being sidelined when the Millers were enjoying their most productive spell of the campaign and starting to climb the League One table.

“Yeah, it was tough,” he admitted. “It is what it is. It came at the wrong stage for me because I'd just broken into the team. It's part of football and you just have to crack on. I just have to get back into that rhythm again.”

Rotherham's form dipped in his absence and his comeback has coincided with two wins in the last three matches to leave them in 14th spot with 11 games left.

“You want to finish as high as possible in the table,” he said. “That puts you in good stead for next season. We've not been able to have consistency of selection in this one. Injuries have stopped the gaffer picking who he'd like to have picked. We've been unlucky in that sense.”

With regular right-back Joe Rafferty shaking off an illness, McWilliams is set to do battle again for a berth in midfield where there is extra competition following the new-year loan arrivals of Pelly Mpanzu and Louie Sibley.

“They've done well, to be fair,” he said. “They've fitted in quite easily and have shown the quality they can bring to the team.”

The former Northampton Town player, who was troubled by other injuries in the first half of the season, will back himself to nail down a place in the starting 11 as long as his body holds up.

“I wouldn't say the fans have seen the very best of me,” he said. “I played only four or five games on the spin.

“I know what I can do, It's about staying fit, for me. It's about doing well consistently, not in four games out of a season. You want to be available for every game.”